Monday, December 7, 2009

GOP Litmus Test Resolution

The Republican National Convention (RNC) has obtained the necessary co-sponsors to bypass the RNC's resolution's committee and eventually vote on the "litmus" test for a candidate to be considered "pure" enough to get the GOP's backing, according to David Frum's forum . Not only is this political suicide for the GOP, it's just plain stupid.

This is the Litmus Test:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;
(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;
(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation
(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check
(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants
(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges
(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat
(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act
(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion
(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.

In order to be considered for political backing by the GOP, a candidate must sign off on 8 out of 10 of this list. The rationale for this? They are invoking the spirit of Reagan, albeit misguidedly, by saying that since he said that “that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent,” the resolution will embody that spirit of Reagan and cut off all Republicans who don't fit at least 8 out of 10 items from the resolution.

I don't know about that. Reagan constantly talked about the "big-tent party." This doesn't seem like a big tent. This seems like an eight out of ten pup tent to me.

Oops, looks like I only score 7 of 10 (I'll leave it to you to guess which 7). I guess I can't be a Republican anymore. But wait...I'm a moderate, with pretty common views for my generation. Oh well. Guess the GOP doesn't need Generation X and Y.

This just doesn't make sense at all. Before, I've blogged about building a moderate part (here, here, here, here, and here) of the GOP, much like the Democrats have their blue dogs and their DLC (Democratic Leadership Committee) to balance the far-left. We need a Red-Dog or RLC (Republican Leadership Committee) type organization to balance the Republican National Convention, especially if they pass this suicidal GOP litmus test.

If there is a candidate that Progressive Republicans could support, that we believe could bring embody the GOP's spirit and win again, but doesn't meet the RNC's 8 of 10 lunacy, the Progressive Republican organization should be able to rally behind said candidate and provide backing and support. Why should we let the far-right drive the party into obscurity?

Let's not only defeat the resolution, but let's make sure similar resolutions are not only circumvented, but defeated as well. There are more of us, and we want a winning GOP again. Not some pure minority that just spouts off items from a ten item list.

9 comments:

Dennis Sanders said...

James, please be aware that the web address for Republicans United is now www.republicansunited.us. We are not using the progressiverepublicans.info address any longer. Thanks.

James' Muse said...

Thanks Dennis. I've updated the link in my sidebar.

Patrick M said...

I guess I could be a Republican according to the litmus test. Not that I want to.

The problem with dumbass litmus tests is that it makes the GOP look narrowed and takes the focus away from core principles by trying to create a brainless talking point lists, most of which any conservative could sign off on as well with a statement of principles which ALL republicans could agree to.

Plus, when more than half of the test is based around opposing something....

I roll my eyes on #8 (which I don't support) and #9 (because the aborto-obsessives just piss me off), because it's the social conservative agenda that drags down wider support.

James' Muse said...

And the problem with many of the other items are that they are so vague that they could be taken to mean anything. For example, number 5: "amnesty" has been used to talk about true amnesty; i.e. forgiveness and no negative consequences for illegals. I can agree with that one. But what about someone like me, who advocates making illegals pay a fine and get in line for citizenship? I've been [falsely] accused of wanting to grant amnesty. I'd be kicked out of the party.

A litmus test is not something the GOP needs right now. We need a broader, bigger, winning party again. One where social and fiscal conservatives can be together. But right now the social conservatives are taking over the party, and trying to kick out everyone who disagrees with them. All that will be left will be a bunch of social conservative purist kooks; an unwinning minority.

beachmom said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
James' Muse said...

Beachmom: I don't abide trolling. This post had nothing to do with Obama. And the remark you made about Michelle Obama has no place on my blog.

If you would like to contribute to the discussion at hand, go ahead. But if not, then don't post here.

Beachmom said...

Thanks for nothing...JERK!

James' Muse said...

Okay. I'm a jerk for enforcing a comment policy. It's right above where you write your comments.

"Comments off topic may be deleted." As I said, beachmom, you may post here, on topic, but I won't allow my blog to be trolled. And using my blog to post your hate for the Obamas is trolling.

X-Republican said...

Back to the election of Lincoln, the Republicans have never been a big tent party.
Their platform has always reflected minority views within America.
They have won with exceptional people like Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Reagan, or exceptional bad performance of a Democratic President like Carter.
Since Republicans do not reflect the majority views of Americans on social issues like abortion, public health, environmental, and other issues; and they have ruined the most important reason most would vote for a Republican (economic sanity-lower taxes-smaller government) the only way they might win is by offering an exceptional person as a candidate.
I don't believe Palin, Huckleby, Pawlenty, or any other current front runners classify as exceptional enough for liberal, or even centrist voters to forget about their social issue loyalties.